Athena Apologizes
by bananannabeth
Summary: After the whole disaster of the goddess being demoted from Athena to Minerva and going slightly insane, she takes a particular interest in the recovery of her daughter, Annabeth. To her surprise, she finds that the son of Poseidon seems to be helping her along just fine.


Annabeth had never been really close to her mom (not by mortal standards, anyway), even before the whole disaster of the goddess being demoted from Athena to Minerva and going slightly insane. Sending Annabeth after the Mark of Athena had put a lot of strain on an already tense relationship, and it wasn't like they'd had much opportunity to talk at the Acropolis.

Athena was proud to a fault (she was a goddess, after all) and Annabeth had remained really angry at her mom for a long time, which wasn't exactly the ideal state for an open conversation about what had gone wrong.

Some part of Athena knew that she owed her favourite daughter an apology - despite how necessary the quest had been, and despite the fact that Annabeth had made it out alive, the goddess found herself wishing that things had happened differently. Strategically, her hand had been forced, but that didn't mean that she hadn't spent weeks after the defeat of Gaia going over all the things she would have done differently, if only she'd been of her right mind. But that was the whole point, wasn't it? The Athena Parthenos had to be reclaimed, or they all would have been doomed, and the only person who had any hope of bringing it back was Annabeth.

So Athena couldn't bring herself to apologise. And she knew now, more than ever, that Annabeth was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. But that didn't mean that she wasn't going to keep an eye an her.

She watched her daughter struggle through sleepless nights at Camp Half Blood, terror echoing in her wide open eyes as her siblings slept around her. She watched Annabeth flinch at any unexpected noise, watched her burn larger and larger portions of her meals rather than eat them, watched her once bright and almost agonisingly self assured daughter turn into a shadow of her former self, someone who'd rather lock herself away behind a fortress of books than continue to face the world.

The world only continued to exist as it did because Annabeth and her friends had fought so valiantly for it, but it seemed that all her fight had left her; evaporated once the threat was removed, leaving her depleted and drained.

And yet.

Annabeth was never alone. Every time Athena looked, Percy Jackson was there with her. Percy watched Annabeth as constantly as Athena did, and so Athena ended up watching him, too.

She'd once warned the son of Poseidon to stay away from her daughter, and while their last encounter had been civil, Athena hadn't exactly been welcoming. It seemed the boy was as headstrong as ever, though, and had not been scared away.

He looked out for Annabeth with a kind of fierce protectiveness that resonated all the way up to Olympus.

If her breath so much as hitched, Percy was there, ready to calm her down with a stupid joke and open arms. He invited her to sit with him at dinner and distracted her until she'd cleared her plate without even knowing it. He got her talking about her latest projects, pushed her to help design the new cabins and temples for the two camps, helped her stay busy during the day. Percy spoke with the other campers, asked them to keep an eye on Annabeth when he couldn't.

He took her to stay with his mother in the city, and Athena watched as Annabeth broke down in the arms of another woman, a mother who instinctively knew how to comfort her, ease the flow of her tears, talk away the nightmares and bring about a shaky smile in their place.

Percy held Annabeth until she drifted off, and she slept for a solid four hours for the first time in months.

He tickled her sides and she giggled. He pulled silly faces at her and she laughed. He hugged her and she collapsed into him, confident that he wouldn't let her fall. He kissed her, and when they parted she sighed as though she could breathe again.

As Athena watched from a distance, Percy Jackson brought her daughter back from the brink.

She attempted to talk to Poseidon about it once, but his smug smile infuriated her too much.

"He's a good kid," the sea god said. "You're so wise, I thought you would have figured that out by now."

Months passed, and the dark days grew less frequent and less intense. Percy remained steadfast at Annabeth's side, there to guide her through every low to another high.

Athena watched her daughter continue to fight for the fate of a world that had done nothing but abuse her. Inspired by Annabeth's determination, the goddess repaired the Yankees cap that she'd given her so many years ago. It was to help in battle, sure, but she knew that Annabeth would be smart enough to see it for what it really was; an olive branch.

Annabeth prayed to her mom for the first time in a long time, after that. "I still don't understand why you did it," she said, eyes glassy, "but I think I'd like to."

Percy was on the beach at Camp Half Blood when Athena appeared, dressed as though she were about to go for a hike. He'd just come out of the waves, no doubt having visited Poseidon, when he spotted her. His arms went rigid at his sides, his spine straightened and his jaw set. His eyes, so like his father's, stared her down as she walked across the sand.

He skipped the pleasantries and flatly asked, "What do you want?"

"Always so feisty," Athena said, voice calm. She stopped before him on the sand.

"I'm a little salty, what can I say," Percy deadpanned. "What do you want us to do now?"

He had automatically referred to himself and Annabeth as one - without thought, he took it for granted that what one did the other would too. Athena's resolve strengthened.

"I'm here about Annabeth."

Percy's eyes narrowed. The waves hit the shore with a bit more force. "Sending her on one suicide mission wasn't enough?"

"I'm here to thank you for looking after her."

His mouth dropped open, the insult he'd been about to hurl at her entirely forgotten. He blinked, and the waves lapped at the sand in a calm but entirely irregular pattern. "What?"

"I've been worried about her," Athena said, analysing his every miniscule response. "After what she went through -"

"After what you put her through, you mean."

Athena pursed her lips. "You see that it was necessary, don't you? You realise that I had no choice, and that it was my Roman counterpart who gave her the Mark in the first place?"

Percy scowled. "All I see is that you sent your daughter, who loves you, on the most dangerous quest she's ever been on, and you made damn sure that I couldn't go with her."

"Would you have gone with her?" She knew the answer before she'd even asked the question.

"Of course I would have! But I couldn't, I had to let her go alone and she -"

"Proved herself and retrieved the Athena Parthenos singlehandedly."

His scowl deepened, and the waves began churning more violently. "And almost died in the process. Do you have any idea what she went through to get that statue? Or how about what happened to us in Tartarus, huh? Do you know what it's like down there? Or even now, do you know what it's like to come back from not just one but _two_ wars and be expected to just settle into everyday life? ' _Oh, you've saved the world, that's cool. Try to ignore the nightmares and paranoia and get on with your lives without any thanks, now.'_ Do you?!"

Athena sighed, which seemed to confuse Percy. "You forget how long I have lived, Percy Jackson. I do not pretend to know the exact evils you have faced - _are_ facing - but I am the goddess of battle strategy, and I know all too well what the costs of winning a war are. I regret the way things unfolded in this one almost as much as you do."

The tide, which had been threatening to sweep up to Athena's knees, receded somewhat.

"So that's really what you're here for, then? You really don't want anything?" Percy asked.

The goddess smiled. "All I ask is that you keep looking out for Annabeth like you are now. She is more than capable of defending herself in most circumstances, but for this, I fear, she needs your help."

"Oh, thanks. That's flattering."

"You misunderstand."

"You immortals aren't very good at the whole saying thanks and apologising stuff, are you?"

Before Athena could respond, Annabeth called over the dunes. "Percy, they're about to start with the s'mores! What's taking so lo-"

When her gaze landed on her mother she froze.

Athena smiled, softer than the one she'd given Percy. "Hello, Annabeth."

Her face flushed. She looked nervous but determined; it was impossible to tell if her hands were shaking due to fear or rage. Perhaps it was both. "Mom. Hi."

"I can't stay -"

"What a surprise." It was obviously meant to be scathing, but the effect was ruined by her voice cracking.

Percy was at her side immediately, taking his hand in hers and intertwining their fingers. She visibly gathered her courage. Her grey eyes turned steely as she lifted her chin and pressed her lips into a thin white line.

Athena walked to her, stopping within arms reach. She didn't have much practice, but she tried to keep her expression soft. "I'm so proud of you, Annabeth. You have achieved what none of your siblings could. You have triumphed over a set of trials deliberately designed to play on your fears, outsmarted the dreadful Arachne, retrieved the Athena Parthenos and united the Greeks and Romans. Without you, we all would have been doomed."

Annabeth gaped at her.

"My daughter, I am -" Athena swallowed, as though the words were painful to say, "I am truly sorry for what I put you through. I know that you think I set you an impossible task, but I knew that you could do it. Of all my children, Annabeth, I see the most of myself in you."

"Of course you couldn't just go and get it yourself, though," Percy muttered under his breath.

Annabeth didn't seem to hear him. "Mom, I -" She wavered, and then she threw her arms around Athena in a hug. It was brief, not at all lingering like the ones she shared with Sally Jackson, but Athena had time to run her hand through her daughter's hair before she pulled back. Her eyes were shining.

Athena stepped back to properly survey the two of them, Annabeth Chase and Percy Jackson, hand in hand. On two separate occasions, they had each turned down immortality to stay together. For the first time, Athena truly thought that they had made the correct choice.

"Remember what I said, Percy Jackson," she warned.

The boy nodded, but his gaze was locked firmly on Annabeth.

Athena turned to her daughter, so young and yet so fierce. She looked into her eyes and saw herself mirrored there, and she was proud.

"I will see you again, Annabeth. Your family will soon need you more than ever." She offered one last smile, and then she was gone.

As she went she heard Percy say, "Well, that sounded promising."

Their meeting had eased her doubts, but Athena would definitely be keeping an eye on that boy. She would accept only the best for Annabeth, after all.


End file.
